What role do relationships play between tables in Access databases?

In Access databases, relationships between tables are crucial for defining how data in one table connects to data in another table. This relational structure allows users to establish connections based on shared fields, typically primary and foreign keys. By defining these relationships, Access can enforce referential integrity, ensuring that data across tables remains consistent and accurate.

For instance, if you have a table for customers and another for orders, you can create a relationship that links customer IDs from the orders table to the customer IDs in the customers table. This linkage enables you to perform complex queries that pull relevant data from multiple tables, fostering a more integrated and cohesive database system. Therefore, understanding and utilizing relationships enhances data management and retrieval, making them an essential aspect of database design in Access.